They may not have a name but they have do have a mission. A grassroots group of volunteers is hoping to stop people from dying of drug overdoses on the streets of Rutland as Interior Health continues to search for an overdose prevention site in that Kelowna neighbourhood.
“We are just concerned citizens,” one of the handful of members of the group, Chad Smith, said.
Armed with just a tent and some naloxone kits, they set up their first pop-up safe injection site in a Rutland parking lot on Boxing Day.
READ MORE: Volunteers open pop-up overdose prevention site in Rutland
The group set up the site again on Wednesday evening with the plan of staying open for a few days.
Interior Health gave the volunteers naloxone training and gave volunteers the all-clear to operate, but then they received a complaint that the pop-up site was located close to a daycare.
Little Boomers Childcare owner Tammy Nillson called to alert the health authority.
“My concern is if anyone overdoses, kids will see it…and drug paraphernalia left behind. It’s creating a higher risk in this area and that’s a big concern,” Nillson said.
The volunteer group received word the next day that there was a daycare close by and didn’t set up the pop-up facility.
Smith said he and the other volunteers had no idea the daycare facility was there. And even though the site was operating primarily outside of childcare hours, they agreed it wasn’t the best place to open.
Interior Health (IH) approved an overdose prevention site inside Living Positive, a block away from where the pop-up site was located after a province-wide mandate was handed down to open such sites across B.C.
READ MORE: B.C. enacts ministerial order to combat overdoses
READ MORE: Emergency overdose sites opening in Kelowna
IH said that was one of the primary locations drug users were, therefore that’s where the need for the site was deemed to be.
But that site was rejected before it even opened after the landlord got word and said no.
READ MORE: Interior Health pulls plans on 1 of 2 planned overdose prevention sites in Kelowna
READ MORE: Interior Health looking to secure new spot to open a drug overdose prevention
Medical health officer Dr. Silvina Mema issued this statement to Global News:
While we appreciate community driven responses and share the concern the organizers have about overdose deaths (and the need for overdose prevention services in the Rutland area) we also need to ensure they are delivered safely and in appropriate locations.
We have had conversations with the organizers of the pop up about the need for appropriate training for volunteers, the importance of selecting appropriate locations, away from children and families, and working collaboratively with key stakeholders including the City and the RCMP.
While IH is not the organizer of these pop ups, we do provide naloxone training and kits for any community member who may be around someone at risk of an overdose and that training is available to those who may volunteer at a pop up.
IH continues to look for a location for an IH overdose prevention site in the Rutland area, to complement the site downtown. In the meantime, we will be working with Living Positive Resource Centre to provide enhanced harm reduction services in the Rutland area.
With no one seemingly wanting the pop-up or semi-permanent site in their own backyard, the big question now is, what’s next?
A question the health authority and this group of volunteers are still trying to answer.
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